>> michael: coming up, senators harry reid and mitch mcconnell go after each other on filibuster reform. unfortunately, it was only a verbal altercation. i'm michael shure, and this is "the war room." [ ♪ theme music ♪ ] >> michael: the senate engaged today in the procedural cold war this morning with majority leader harry reid putting his finger right over the nuclear option on filibuster reform. reid and fellow democrats have had it with the g.o.p.'s stone walling tactics which have not only held up president obama's nominees for the cabinet but have sandbagged his entire

legislative vaned. dusting off his boxing gloves, reid singled out senate minority leader mitch mcconnell for leaving him no other options than to go nuclear air. >> the republican leader has failed to live up to his commitments. he has failed to do what he said he would do, move nominations by regular order except in extraordinary circumstances. i refuse to unilaterally surrender my right to respond to this breach of faith. >> michael: of course, mcconnell struck back claiming that reid was manufacturing a crisis to replace the senate mandate of "advice and consent" with quote sit down and shut up. >> it appears as if they've convinced the majority leader to do their bidding and hijack the senate. they're not interested in advise and consent. they're not even interested in what this would mean down the road when republicans are the ones making the nominations. they want the power and they want it now.

they don't care about the consequences. >> michael: the consequences? senator, you want to talk about the consequences? how about the fact that republican obstructionism has resulted in student loans doubling, sensible gun control failing, immigration reform teetering over a cliff and of course sequester cuts that have crippled economic recovery. this is the game for republicans, by stone walling every appointment and legislative item the obama administration has sent up to the hill, the republicans have made it virtually impossible for the government to function properly under this president. that is the mandate of mitch mcconnell who said we'll continue to say no. it's been 131 days since gina mccartney was nominated to head the epa. that's the longest period in american history that the epa administrator has been blocked. pending labor secretary thomas perez has been twiddleing his

thumbs since april. and richard cordray has been waiting since 2010 to officially head the consumer financial protection bureau. harry reid said they have been sitting on the sidelines along enough. read will move to go to executive session to hold seven votes for seven nominees today. the filibuster showdown begins. here to discuss the flap over the filibuster are two of our special guests yahoo political reporter chris moody coming from new york not washington, and wayne slater, senior political writer for dallas morning news, he comes to us from austin, texas. i mean, this is fairly quick. does that mean he might have the support of the 51 senate democrats to change the chamber rules. >> i can't imagine he's bluffing. he's not going to hold a vote and then lose. he may have come to this

realization, as you said, it seems to be coming from nowhere but it could have long-term consequences for both parties. power shifts from one foot to the other here in america and i wouldn't put it past republicans once this nuclear option has been made precedent, for them to use it in event of a republican administration later. is reid going to go forward on this, that has yet to be seen. >> michael: i was going to bring that up with you in a moment, but since you're obviously more pr rcient than i. they need six seeds to switch. we know south dakota, then the ones they're defending, north carolina arkansas, and alaska, isn't this risky of harry reid? >> well, i think so. it's not just the power in the

senate. it's the presidency, too of course, we've got an election in quite a few years. but it's almost as if he's thinking short term. the republicans did this quite a bit when they expanded the role of the presidency under george w. bush then they were astonished to see that president obama was taking the power that they gave bush in the office. both sides do this. it's remarkable. then they look shocked when the power changes hands a couple of years later. >> michael: that's the funny part, oh my god, i can't believe it. if the shoe was on the other foot mcconnell would not hesitate for a moment to use the nuclear option. >> i think what is happened here you have not just one chamber but you have the white house. in terms of the moving policy in general whether it would be guns guns, climate control, dealing with budgets and now

immigration, the democrats i think, would look and see why don't we see if we can do this without something like the nuclear option. if in fact, you believe as harry reid and some democrats do brief this is an extraordinary moment in which no matter what the president proposes, if the president wants it, we don't want it. this isn't just a game in which some nominees executive nominees are being held up for a while. that's happened for years. it happens from time to time. this is essentially every piece of legislation even potential things with consensus like guns, some level of gun control and immigration or effectively being delayed and possibly stopped along the way simply because one party says we don't vote for anything but that the guy in the white house wants. >> hold on one second.

president obama has been push something hard for immigration reform, that just passed by 68 votes. it seemed up to that point that everything that the president wanted was going down. but then immigration came along. i would like to be curious why that one issue actually worked. >> michael: no, chris, that's a really good point. that has an immediate ballot box implication, and the senate snowing that the house wasn't going to do anything on it, that may have come into play. that is a really good point. finallingcoming off the victory, how do you explain that? the timing of this right after finally, an exhale? >> well, look, there is a difference between executive nominations and some legislation and immigration. in the senate there really were republicans who understood for their own self interest. there is nothing wrong with that. that's part of the government

process, for their own self interest and their party they came in with the 68 votes. i do suggest that there is an agreement somewhere. of course, they agreed in the senate and immigration looks stalled or delayed in the house. >> michael: that's true. chris, i'm going to ask you to make a guess here. you cover that city so closely so well, do you think the white house is behind something like this at all? do you think harry reid let's president obama directly know this is what i'm going to be doing, mr. president i'm going to be doing it now? >> i'm sure they communicate although president obama's messaging with the senate is not as close as other presidents or their communications with them. but i would say that this is something that the base has called for for a long time. they want filibuster reform. they are tired of republicans putting up a wall against the

president's agenda, and they've called on reid to do something here for quite awhile. it really does throw a bone to the base that wants bills to move at a quicker pace. >> michael: i want to move away from d.c. for a moment and i'll turn to the new york mayoral race. the former governor eliot spitser is ahead of scott stringer, 42% to 33%. is spitzer going to win this race? and are we making too much of it? >> we're not making too much of it. this is extraordinary. the whole run of the sex scandals and narrative. if there is something that politics like is the back slider redeemed. i'm not sure that eliot spitzer is redeemed, but this is an amazing move in new york city. i don't know if he's going to

win or not but it certainly looks like the guy is going to win. it is amazing. >> michael: it really is amazing. and when you look at anthony weiner, as we talked before. >> yes. >> michael: chris, what is your take on it? you're losing the vocabulary race will, but let's see what you can do with it. >> i was in south carolina running around with mark sanford, and he won. and then a couple of weeks later we have congressman weiner running for new york mayor now this. in media if you have three examples you got yourself a story. and you got yours a narrative here. it will be fascinateing. imagine if all three of these guys win and they're back in power. then 2013 is the year of man's redemption in politics. we'll have our own set of scandals next year and then five years after that we can all be redeemed again. >> michael: that's exactly

right. you might have people trying to get into a scandal to make a comeback. i invite to you stick around an we'll have a whole lot more. on the show, immigration can we get a deal? if so, what needs to happen? we'll tackle that right after the break. immigration in washington might bepolitical life or death at the border it's the real deal. honest. they know that i'm not bsing them for some hidden agenda, actually supporting one party or the other. when the democrats are wrong, they know i'm going to be the first one to call them out. cenk on air>> what's unacceptable is how washington continues to screw the middle class over. cenk off air i don't want the middle class taking the brunt of the spending cuts and all the different programs that wind up

hurting the middle class. cenk on air you got to go to the local level, the state level and we have to fight hard to make sure they can't buy our politics anymore. cenk off air and they can question if i'm right about that. but i think the audience gets that, i actually mean it. cenk on air 3 trillion dollars in spending cuts! narrator uniquely progressive and always topical the worlds largest online news show is on current tv. cenk off air and i think the audience gets, "this guys to best of his abilities is trying to look out for us." only on current tv!

>> did anyone tell the pilgrims they should self-deport? >> no, they said "make us a turkey and make it fast". >> (laughter). >> she gets the comedians laughing. >> that's the best! >> that's hilarious. >> ... and the thinkers thinking. >> okay, so there is wiggle room in the ten commandments is what you're telling me. >> she's joy behar. >> ya, i consider you jew-talian. >> okay, whatever you want. >> who plays kafka? >> who saw kafka? >> who ever saw kafka? >> (laughter). >> asking the tough questions. >> chris brown, i mean you

wouldn't let one of your daughters go out with him. >> absolutely not. >> you would rather deal with ahmadinejad then me? >> absolutely! >> (singing) >> i take lipitor, thats it. >> are you improving your lips? >> (laughter). >> when she's talking, you never know where the conversation is going to go. >> it looks like anthony wiener is throwing his hat in the ring. >> his what in the ring? >> his hat. >> always outspoken, joy behar. >> and the best part is that current will let me say anything. what the hell were they thinking? >> only on current tv. >> michael: yesterday, 500 undocumented young people or as they call themselves dreamers, reallied inside the u.s. capitol. their singing and flag waving

was prompted by leaders directly below them. they're discussing the future of the immigration bill, and in turn the future of those very dreamers. their newest concern that the path of citizenship will be x'd out of the bill. representative john culver son of houston said that many won't vote on the bill if it includes a path to citizenship. he said it's unnecessary it's illogical. nancy pelosi the other day told the house they need to get going. >> why do we delay? why don't we get to the business of doing the bill. i'm respective of any way he wants to bring it to the floor in parts or whole, whatever it is but we really should get moving on it.

and see where there are areas where we can pass a bill so that we can go to conference and then have the further discussion. >> michael: she thinks if immigration reform can't get done this year it won't get done in the election year. she's probably right. back with us now are the best and brightest. we just call them wayne and chris, senior political reporter for the dallas news. and chris moody. we knew that immigration reform was not going to be easy but now there is talk of splitting it up in little parts. what will this do to this? >> there has always been talk of that. but we've asked over and over house republican leaders can a path of citizenship pass the house? they never answer. you ask them again and they won't answer. they say we're going to do our own thing, they're going to do enforcement first. here's the complicated problem. if the republicans get

enforcement as one single bill what incentive do they have to go along with the democrattings laterdemocratslater for a path to citizenship. they're saying we need to do this all together. if you look at the senate bill on enforcement you've got a 700-mile wall and 40,000 new border security folks on the border there. that is a republican dream when it comes to border security. but they're not going to take it if it comes with the path to citizenship together. you got to do them together because both sides don't trust each other enough to do one after the other. >> michael: yes, that makes perfect sense. wayne, nancy pelosi said in that news conference that immigration reform will get it done because they want it done. but the american people wanted background checks, too. so i oh wonder if pelosi is right.

how is it that the house cannot see the virtue of the single bill. >> there are so many members who come from district like john culbertson who says i don't want this kind of bill. a bill that includes any path of citizenship there is no incentive for so many house members to go along with some kind of i am immigration bill. what you heard from nancy pelosi was, basically okay, we're going to go with you boehner can get through. that's a couple of pieces that have to do only with security. then we go to conference. that's what some house members are worried about in a meeting yesterday in washington of the house conference where some house members say gee whiz, what if we get rolled and the final consensus bill we have to vote on includes a path to citizenship. if and when that happens the fear as we just heard maybe the

house simply won't go along with it, and immigration is dead. this is a tough tough road ahead. >> michael: it seems to be that. listening to what you're saying wayne, when you think about it. when it's the house of representatives, i don't remember, and maybe you do, a house that was so deaf to public opinion. i'm sure it has happened in in the past, old but not that old. i do not remember it in recent history. do you remember a precedent for this? >> i don't, and there is a wonderful book" the big sword." it says we've become so divided with the jerry monday der gerrymandering process the political process, you can create this kind of environment where there is simply no incentive for enough members in a body like the house to go along with something even though it's clearly in the public interest. even though the public wants it. even though in this case the

chamber of commerce business interest many democrats hispanics want it. there is a coalition of voters who don't want it because they go back home, and this group is beat up by a constituency that says no path to citizenship. don't look weak or we'll vote against you next year. >> yes, even the congressman from houston culbertson. chris moody, the farm bill which for decades has passed without any problem. it passed today with 216-208. has the house found new power here as they split these bills apart? >> i'm not sure how this new action in the house of passing this bill without the food stamps fits in to the republican national committee to call for a new tone among the party to make them look for compassionate.

they're flexing their muscle, and the conservative stronghold within the republican house. boehner is traditionally a centrist republican, but you have more and more conservative people who started coming in 2010 who are showing what they can do, and you have to play ball with them if you want to get anything done. that's the way it is in washington right now and for them they're hoping it's going to be that way for a long time. >> michael: i would have to say it's working for them now but i can't see it working as you said for a long time. wayne, tomorrow the texas abortion bill goes to the senate for a final vote and will likely pass and be signed into law. today rick santorum appeared in audience without a sweater vest because it's july in austin to comment on congressman westboundy davis' sudden popularity. here is rick. >> you have a radical small

group in the texas senate who blocked this bill. the person who blocked it is lionized by the media. wildly supported by the president and everybody in their party for taking an extreme point of view by any stretch of the imagination. >> michael: wayne, what will wendy dave's sudden fame do towards making texas a bluer state? >> well look, there are democrats who really want her to run for governor next year. this is a seat that rick perry announced this past week that he was not going to run again. it would be very very difficult. but what she has clearly done is energized voters. energized a number of women voters and democrats who haven't had very much to smile about in a while. and so even if she doesn't run and i'm not sure whether she's going to run for governor or

not. it would be a big big obstacle. one of the things that i think the affect is that this next election because of this war on women narrative that the democrats have offered up, you have an energized democratic moderate women in the suburbs and rising latino population that by the time we get to 2016 if and when hillary clinton is the presidential nominee, then you begin to see in texas by 2016 and 2018 this real potential for enormous new groups of voters to come out and to vote democrat. don't look for this to happen next year, but it may be closer than some people think. >> michael: yes, i would agree with that. wayne slater of the dallas morning news and chris moody of yahoo. have a great political weekend. coming up next, deadly border crossing. a look of life at death at the american-mexican border and why it's more dangerous day by day.

you're in "the war room." we'll be right back. (vo) later tonight current tv is the place for compelling true stories. >> jack, how old are you? >> nine. >> this is what 27 tons of marijuana looks like. (vo) with award winning documentaries that take you inside the headlines, way inside. (vo) from the underworld, to the world of privilege. >> everyone in michael jackson's life was out to use him. (vo) no one brings you more documentaries that are real, gripping, current.

if you believe in state's rights but still support the drug war you must be high. >> "viewpoint" digs deep into the issues of the day. >> do you think there is any chance we'll ever hear the president even say the word "carbon tax"? >> with an opened mind... >> has the time finally come for real immigration reform? >> ...and a distinctly satirical point of view. >> but you mentioned great leadership so i want to talk about donald rumsfeld. >> (laughter)

>> cutting throught the clutter of today's top stories. >> this is the savior of the republican party? i mean really? >> ... with a unique perspective. >> teddy rosevelt was a weak asmatic kid who never played sports until he was a grown up. >> (laughter) >> ... and lots of fancy buzz words. >> family values, speding, liberty, economic freedom, hard-working moms, crushing debt, cute little puppies. if wayne lapierre can make up stuff that sounds logical while making no sense... hey, so can i. once again friends, this is live tv and sometimes these things happen. >> watch the show. >> only on current tv. [ ♪ theme music ♪ ] >> michael: thanks in part to tighter border security the number of people crossing from mexico into the united states illegally is at an all-time low. but people dying along the way

is at an all-time high. nearly 500 people lost their lives trying to get into this country from mexico. that's according to the national foundation of american policy. there is a new mass death phenomenon. they contribute it to migrants making longer perilous johnny journeys. the plan to double the number of agents and extend 700 miles of fencing, some republicans say its still not enough. but senator john mccain of arizona want on to support the measure. >> this is not only sufficient but it's well over sufficient. we'll be the most militarized border since the fall of the berlin wall. >> michael: wow, we should be so proud. now a group called no more

deaths is working to provide care to people stranded in the desert. the group leaves water bottles in heavily trafficked area. but some border patrollers don't like the infringement on what they see as their own territory and they even try to sabotage the efforts. joining me now is geoff boyce, a volunteer and spokesman for no more deaths. what is a normal day for you in the field? >> we have one of the busiest camps based. we run our runners out.

when people run into trouble which they do with alarming frequency, there is no place for them to go for help. so we go out there looking for folks in need, and we provide first aid, food and water, and you know, when appropriate we'll call 911 and you know, we work with the border patrol in emergency situations to get people out of the desert and into a hospital. >> michael: give us a picture of the kind of shape people are in when you find them. >> sure, well, it runs the gamut. typically people are crossing for four to five days in the summertime. you know, it's been over 100 degrees in arizona i think for a record stretch now. every day it's in the hundreds. and so the physical strain that puts on people is really extreme. we see all kind of people who

end up in melodies medical distress people in the peak of physical health, from children, the elderly, and sometimes we know this results in people dying out there. we just got a report yesterday from the medical county medical office of 200 deaths. >> michael: astonishing numbers. there have been allegations of wide-spread abuse of border patrol agents against these migrants. talking about somebody helping you, but have you witnessed the abuse as well. >> yes absolutely. and it runs the gamut from cases that are sort of more uncommon

but extreme in their nature, so people subjected to physical abuse, assault people who are subject to really--what under most international standards torture while in border patrol custody. rare but common enough that we think it's a problem with oversight and accountability. then routine things like people denied with access to water and food in detention. medical care. we've seen people deported with broken legs, pretty extreme medical conditions. we know of case where is people have died immediately after being deported. >> michael: is there any recores in these situations? >> typically not. they're treated by these

agencies as if they have no rights. these people are in transit, and our organization has filed more than 98 complaints with the department of homeland security about these kinds of incidents and we have not had an identifiable result from any of those complaints yet. even working through the established process through dhs to have accountability and investigation of this stuff typically it doesn't lead to anything. we really see this agency as one with systemic problems, and it needs to be reformed. instead of reforming the border patrol we see in the current congressional proposal is to double the size of the agency to send unprecedented resources toward so-called border security. it's really troubling for residents of the border lands. it's really troubling to know

what that means. >> michael: what would you like to see geoff in that bill that isn't there now? >> hum well, first of all this idea of securing the border first. we've been hearing that forever. we've already seen the border patrol double two times in the last 15 years. so it's grown fore four-fold. and homeland security and congress have no metric or criteria to evaluate what border security means or what policy or action they might take that would make the border more or less secure. so when we hear people--when we hear political policies makers say we need to secure the border, they literally don't know what they're talking about. they literally have no metric for making the claim and the border communities are the safest.

migration is at a 40% low. how does it make sense to throw another $38 billion to accepted these drones and other stuff. it seems like a really reckless kind of policy. >> michael: to a lot of people it does, too geoff. and these are the people who say you're aiding criminals and you're really aiding human beings. geoff boyce of "no more deaths." the hunger strike at guantanamo bay has received international attention. it's a very important story. we'll bring it to you next. young turks is that we're honest. they know that i'm not bs'ing them with some hidden agenda, actually supporting one party or the other. when the democrats are wrong, they know that i'm going to be the first

one to call them out. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us.

we have a big big hour and the iq will go way up. (vo) current tv gets the converstion started weekdays at 9am eastern. >> i'm a slutty bob hope. >> you are. >> the troops love me. (vo) tv and radio talk show host stephanie miller rounds out current's morning news block. >> you're welcome current tv audience for the visual candy. just be grateful current tv does not come in smellivision. the sweatshirt is nice and all but i could use a golden lasso. (vo) only on current tv. >> michael: here in california almost 30,000 prisoners are on a hunger strike you.

so far it looks like the largest hunger strike in state history. california has ten thousand prisoners in solitary confinement you wants u and it's being led from the pelican bay super max prison where 1,180 prisoners are held in cramped windowless cells with restricted privileges until recently they were not even allowed to send photographs to family members. men can be held like this indefinitely. it's astonishing. this whole show has been astonishing. they're demanding a five-year limit, more visitation rights for family and education and rehabilitation programs. for more, we have shane bauer.

he spent four months in solitary confinement in iran after he was taken hostage while hiking on the iran-iraq border with two other americans. describe for us the conditions that the prisoners live in. you said that the cell that you saw here at pelican bay were smaller than your cell in iran. >> yes pelican bay shu the cells are smaller than the cell i had in iran. they don't have windows. people go outside for an hour a day. it's a larger cell, it's a plexy glass roof. they don't have direct contact with other prisoners. they're extremely isolated. >> are they allowed to have mail? >> they're allowed to get letters, write and receive letters, but they can't make phone calls. on average the average time spent in these units at pelican bay is 7.5 years.

but there are about 80 inmates that have been in there for 20 years or more. >> michael: how do inmates end up in the shu? >> they go through a process called gang validation. so it's the authority is in one of the california prisons decides this person is a member or an associate of a gang then they're validated and receive an indefinite term in the shu. once they're there they don't have a sentence of so many years. they're there indefinite until the administration decides they're no longer an active gang member. >> michael: it's arbitrary. it's arbitrary to a degree. it's what the authorities think is this guy is in a gang, i'm going to put him there. but there are people who are supposedly in gangs. >> there are certainly some gang leaders and very dangerous guys in there, but what i found in

going through kind case documents of a lot of inmates some of the evidence are books prisoner rights literature is considered gang literature. the use of spanish words for uncle. the standard is so broad that a lot of critics say that they're kind of--if they want to get somebody off the yard they can put them in the shu. there is a high number of jailhouse lawyers who are there people who litigate on behalf of other inmates on conditions. >> michael: how do they get out of the shu? what would warrant getting out? >> there is really two ways to get out. one is called debriefing. basically snitching. if an inmate of the shu goes through this process they're renouncing their gang affiliation. to do that they have to give a

roster of names of other people that are affiliated with this gang. >> michael: then you get out and you're beat up for turning other people in. >> er killed. it's really dangerous. then there is another issue that goes along with that. if a person is not really a gang affiliate, they can't take this option or they have to give up names to satisfy gang investigator. >> michael: wow. >> the other way to get out is to be deemed inactive, which basically means that the department of corrections said this person is not an active gang member any more. in the past the soonest that would happen is six years. now since the last hunger strike it's changed slightly so the minimum time is four years until your case is reviewed. >> michael: so you could have nothing to do with a gang, and you have to wait there. shane, you were impress imprisoned

in iran for six months. four of them in solitary confinement. what is that like. describe for us, we don't have a lot of time to hear it, but in the best way you can. >> something i want to say about solitary confinement it's a very individual experience. every person who is asked that question will have a different experience. for me it was the situation where time was my enemy. i noticed myself after months in solitary confinement everything slowed down. my mind slowed down. my thinking slowed down. you start to lose a core part of yourself. we're social creatures. we need interaction to survive. i start kind of wishing hoping to be interrogated because i needed contact that badly. >> michael: have you gotten that back? >> yes when i came back, it

took time to relearn how to be amongst people. sometimes i would be in a crowded place and i would need to be alone. sometimes i couldn't be alone. it's a schizophrenic situation. and for people coming out of the shu, criminals who have spent years in isolation some are released directly from solitary confinement out to the streets. this is a very dangerous situation. the rate of recidivism is much higher they can't cope in society. if you're someone who has a history of violence it's easier to go back to that. >> michael: do you call this torture, solitary confinement do you call it torture? >> i think it is. and international standards would agree. the u.n. has define anything over 15 days in solitary confinement is torture and cruel and degrading treatment. the u.s. has been in a different position. we have 80,000 people in

solitary confinement, far more than any other country in the world. and california in particular has, you know, many more people. the other only state that compares is texas where people are in indefinite, long-term solitary incarceration. >> michael: what do we do about this. >> i think the issue of indefinite solitary confinement if it's used in prisons, it should be a last resort. >> if you think that we're the country, we call ourselves the leader of the free world, it's not the case. you know, one thing that struck

me in hearing the story of what is going on at pelican bay to get into the shu. it's not what you did on the outside, it's what you look like, what your tattoos say and what you do inside. >> there are a good number of people put in the shu that are put in prison for three strikes that are not necessarily murders or rapists. >> michael: shane with mother jones. coming up tonight inspired by today's political trivia, i may get into a duel with brett erlich. that, my friends is what they call a hint. stick around. >> did anyone tell the pilgrims they should self-deport? >> no, they said "make us a turkey and make it fast". >> (laughter). >> she gets the comedians laughing. >> that's the best! >> that's hilarious. >> ... and the thinkers thinking. >> okay, so there is wiggle room in the ten commandments is what you're telling me. >> she's joy behar. >> ya, i consider you jew-talian. >> okay, whatever you want. >> who plays kafka?

>> who saw kafka? >> who ever saw kafka? >> (laughter). >> asking the tough questions. >> chris brown, i mean you daughters go out with him. >> absolutely not. >> you would rather deal with ahmadinejad then me? >> absolutely! >> (singing) >> i take lipitor, thats it. >> are you improving your lips? >> (laughter). >> when she's talking, you never know where the conversation is going to go. >> it looks like anthony wiener is throwing his hat in the ring. >> his what in the ring? >> his hat. >> always outspoken, joy behar. >> and the best part is that current will let me say anything. what the hell were they thinking? >> only on current tv.

(vo) later tonight current tv is the place for compelling true stories. >> jack, how old are you? >> nine. >> this is what 27 tons of marijuana looks like. (vo) with award winning documentaries that take you inside the headlines, way inside. (vo) from the underworld, to the world of privilege. >> everyone in michael jackson's life was out to use him.

(vo) no one brings you more documentaries that are real, gripping, current. >> michael: for today's epic political trivia we offer duel pieces of history literally. you may only remember the first one from this. >> and now let's make that random call with today's $10,000 question, it's a tough one. who shot alexander hamilton in [ gunfire ] all right let's go to the phones and see whose out there. [ phone ringing ] >> hello? >> for $10,000 who shot-- [ answering with a mouth full of food ] >> that's the very first got milk ad. but the town of new jersey

hosted the most famous duel in history when alan bu,rr killed alexander hamilton. they walked ten paces turned and shot each over in the face. it stemmed from a rivalry from the beginning between the two. the rivalry cull men maded when burr became incensed over published writings about him. then burr was charge ready murder. most of the charges are dropped and burr were acquitted with those who were not. andrew jackson our seventh president is the only president to have been in a duel. he won his duel killing charles dickinson. the two had argued over a horse

race. so apparently winning a duel is better financially. jackson won and he's on the $20 bill. hamilton lost, and he got stuck on the crummy 'ol ten $10 bill. let's go to los angeles and welcome in brett erlich. >> hi, how are you doing. >> michael: i am well, brett my friend. >> i know this is of great interest to you. there is news in the world of justin bieber. >> michael: tell me, tell me, tell me. >> we all though that justin beinger is an upstanding citizen, but now we can watch him in a video that his friends leaked of him standing up while he urine urinates in a mop bucket and desperates a photo.

>> michael: i'm no longer a believer. >> i know, can you believe it? we had so much in this kid. the upside at least he knew it was bill clinton. you know who else knew it was bill clinton the security guard because he used to be on presidential security detail until he got the big bieber promotion. now he's really protecting pretty big figures. >> michael: only in america is that a promotion. >> and bill clinton and justin bieber spoke on the phone because justin called the former president to apologize and afterwards justin tweeted this. bill clinton thanks for taking the time to talk, mr. president. #great guy.

[ laughing ] >> he thinks the president is a great guy, i'm sure the president is sure, justin bieber. who is justin bieber? he thinks i'm a great guy i'm fine with that. we have more. another great part of the story is that president clinton told justin to, quote keep an eye on his friends. which is great advice because one of his friends leaked the video. another story we have usually when people ask where is god? they're speaking metaphorically but in this case it is a literal question because there is a sculpture in a colorado park where it used to say in god we trust but now it says in blank we trust. local residents and especially one tourist from alabama went crazy. the alabama tourist pulled aside a parks and recreation employee and yelled at them, and the park employee explained they're refurbishing god. they're putting new pennies on

god because there are pennies adorning the word. god will return one day. >> michael: it looks like a sculpture of a match game clue in god we trust. >> there is someone who said that god was never there to begin with. which is a joke. >> michael: which is a joke. >> last thing i want to get in there, i want to ask you what this is. it's a video. what is this? [ strange noises ] >> any guesses? >> michael: it looks like--i'm epic political guy. it looks like the pocket of an u.s. senator. >> that's exactly what it is. the world's first butt vine. >> michael: and you got to say butt vine, brett erlich, boy

genius of beverly hills. "the young turks" are next. alright, in 15 minutes we're going to do the young turks. i think the number one thing that viewers like about the young turks is that we're honest. they know that i'm not bs'ing them with some hidden agenda, actually supporting one party or the other. when the democrats are wrong, they know that i'm going to be the first one to call them out. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us.

>> if you believe in state's rights but still support the drug war you must be high. >> "viewpoint" digs deep into the issues of the day. >> do you think that there is any chance we'll see this president even say the words "carbon tax"? >> with an open mind... >> has the time finally come for real immigration reform? >> ...and a distinctly satirical point of view. >> but you mentioned "great leadership" so i want to talk about donald rumsfeld.

>> (laughter). >> watch the show. >> only on current tv. [ ♪ theme music ♪ ] >> cenk: welcome to "the young turks." we have a great show. we'll jump right into it. zimmerman case, prosecution has rested. the defense has rested. the prosecution has done their closing arguments for tom. robin sax will tell us all about it. >> i which i had my nancy grace up do because it was a bomb show and this is what abc had to say about it.